“And without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Have you ever tried so hard to please God through righteous acts?
All of your efforts have sent you into one tiresome tailspin after another.
I know that feeling!
The more we work to fulfil righteousness, either the more unrighteous we discover that we are, or we resort to self-righteousness to make ourselves feel better.
Neither situation is God’s best for us.
The author of Hebrews provides us with this good news: we do not have to work so hard to please God. Pleasing God is a matter of faith, and seeking God is a matter of faithfulness.
When we faithfully seek God, we live by faith and not works. Our own righteousness acts are but as filthy rags, anyhow (ref. Isaiah 64:6).
Faith teaches us that the power of God\’s righteousness is fulfilled in us through Christ\’s finished work on the cross (ref Romans 8:3-4). Without Christ, we can do nothing (ref John 15:5)!
As the adage goes, “We do have skin in the game.” Our role is to trust that Jesus did it for us; remain committed to the cause of Christ in faith, hope, and love.
Let’s stop trying so hard; slow down; keep it simple. Rest in God\’s power to empower us to walk by faith in Christ rather than our own works.
Our foundation is God. Stand on God’s promises to keep going.
Dr. A
